GB2397713A

GB2397713A - Secure data transfer process

Info

Publication number: GB2397713A
Application number: GB0229917A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Farley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-12-21
Filing date: 2002-12-21
Publication date: 2004-07-28
Also published as: GB0229917D0

Abstract

A method for transmitting data between computers in a heterogeneous manner comprises designating data requirements - such as syntactical or grammatical rules - previously stored 110, manufacture 200 of components for data creation 201 and data interpretation 202, reading a data file for transmission, and creating data objects for heterogeneous transmission. Upon transmission to the target, receiving computer or PC, the data, in the form of documents, is converted to an electronic facsimile, interpreted and produced in an agreed format on the receiving computer. The data to be transferred may be encrypted using public and private keys, and may be signed electronically. Other security measures may include the use of self identification tags or barcodes using light sensitive ink, and the transferred data may be located and error corrected.

Description

Description:- I 2397713

[001] This invention relates to the transfer of electronic data from one sub-computer system to another using a technique that allows for the method of transfer to be either electronic, paper or any other media that allows for an electronic facsimile to be created.

[002] Conventionally, a user who wants to transfer files, documents or information would have to rely on different medium such as an electronic disc for the transfer.

This method requires the storage medium such as a diskette, to be carried from one personal computer (PC) to another.

[003] Alternatively, the user can focus on an agreed file transfer protocol (FTP) to transfer the required information through a network, or attach the required information within an e-mail. Furthermore, such methods may increase the risk of virus infection, in that sharing storage media and direct connection between computers may expose each computer to more virus-infected computers.

[004] Alternatively, the user can focus on an agreed format to be embedded within a barcode which can be read and input into a sub-computer system. This method requires physical items, such as paper, to be present at a read station normally a barcode reader, which is attached to a Personal Computer (PC). Furthermore, such a method may increase the risk of incorrect information being passed to the target sub- computer system as substitute barcodes can be created, this may expose the data to integrity and security issues.

[005] Alternatively, to read information printed on paper, character recognition methods can be used, adopting such technologies as Optical Character Recognition (OCR) or Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR). These methods can generate a number of error conditions which may go undetected without specific reference to a

complete dictionary of valid field content.

[006] The present invention seeks to provide a heterogeneous method to transfer data even when the user requires the transfer to be either electronic, paper or both. The later may be used to confirm receipt of both paper and data, when the information from the transfer mechanisms rendezvous.

[007] According to an embodiment of the invention, this method allows data to be transferred from one sub-computer system in a heterogeneous way to another sub- computer system. Syntactical and grammatical rules are defined, to allow for the manufacture of the both the creation and the interpretation components of the invention. The creation component is on/or attached to the sub-computer system that is transferring the data, while the interpretation component is on/or attached to the target sub-computer system that is going to receive the data.

[008] In one embodiment of the invention the data is only interpreted if it recognises the identification tag defined during the manufacture stage. Ensuring only the data from the sub-computer system gets transferred to the target sub-computer system.

Eliminating the chance of substitute data being applied to the target subcomputer system.

Description:- - 2

[009] In another embodiment, information is transferred in a disguised format this is defined prior to the manufacture, of the components that are responsible for both the creation and the interpretation of the data transferred.

0] In another embodiment the information is transferred supported by Public Key Cryptography. This technique covers Symmetric and Asymmetric encryption together with data hashing, allowing for electronic signatures. This additional functionality is defined prior to the manufacture of the components, that are responsible for the creation and the interpretation of the data transferred.

1] Embodiments of the present invention are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1:- illustrates the one embodiment of the system, the component manufacture, Figure 2:- illustrates another embodiment of the system, Figure 3:- illustrates how both encryption and/or electronic signatures are applied to the embodiment of the system.

2] In one embodiment of the invention as shown in Figure 1, the syntactical and grammatical rules governing the data contained in (110) are stored in (101). This is used in the Manufacture method (200) to provide both the Create (201) and the Interpret (202) components of the method.

In an embodiment, the data contained in (101) could be a XML (extensible Mark-up Language). This definition schema is used to provide translation of both the inbound data for the Create (201) and its recreation in the Interpret (202) stage of the process.

With this method a variety of data envelopes can be used to create the transfer capability, depending upon the preferred transfer mechanism. This allows for the creation of data transfer facilities for individual and a plurality of data.

The method allows for data transfer to be supported by: Data transmission over wire and air networks, utilising such techniques as e- mail, file transfer protocols (FTP), wireless application protocols (WAP), etc Data transmission using physical electronic media, utilising such technologies as tape cartridges, magnetic diskettes etc. Paper transfer of data utilising bar codes, simple and complex.

3] In another embodiment a single or two dimensional barcode is transferred electronically as a HTTP packet using objects such as: Graphics Interchange Format (.gif) Joint Photographic Experts Group (jpg) Portable Network Graphics (ding) Microsoft Windows Bitmap (.bmp, .rle, . dib) Windows Metafile Graphics (.wmf) Tagged Image File Format (.TIFF)

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Description:- - 3

4] In an embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2, the Create (201) can generate either a data file for transmission (115) or it can be printed on paper (215) either in standard or light sensitive ink. The Interpretation (202) will produce the information (111) required by the target sub-computer system from either the data file transmitted (115) or from an electronic facsimile of the document produced by (301) in a data file (315). This facsimile data file (315) can also be further transmitted prior to Interpretation (202).

5] In an embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3, additional external security is added to the data, the additional steps allow for the encryption method to be defined together with an electronic signature. This is used in Manufacture (200) to provide both the Create (201) and the Interpret (202) components with the details of the method used. The Create (201) and the Interpret (202) can access external security services (501) using syntactical and grammatical instructions to confirm that appropriate private and public keys were used. 1 1

Claims

Claims:- [001] A process to allow a plurality of data to be transferred

safely from one sub- computer system to another sub-computer system in a heterogeneous way, the process includes the steps of: designating the requirements of the data to be created, transferred and interpreted; manufacture of the components for data creation and data interpretation, reading the agreed formatted data file for transmission, creating the data objects for heterogeneous transmission, transmitting the information from the sub- computer system to the target sub computer system, converting documents to electronic facsimile, interpretation of the data received by the target component from the various transmission methods.

produce the information in the agreed format for the target sub-computer system.

[002] A process as in claiml including the steps of: disguise of the data object to be transferred.

[003] A process as in claiml & 2 including the steps of: encryption of the data object to be transferred.

[004] A process as in claims, 2 or 3 including the steps of: electronically signing the data object to be transferred.

[005] A process as in claiml,2,3 or 4 including the steps of: ! self identification tags used by the create and interpret components.

[006] A process as in claiml,2,3,4 or 5 including the steps of: printing of barcodes on paper using standard or light sensitive ink.

[007] A process as in claiml,2,3,4,5 or 6 including the steps of: location of the data transferred, error correction and interpretation of the document facsimile.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows [001] A process to allow a plurality of data to be transferred safely from one sub- computer system to another sub-computer using heterogeneous transfer mechanisms, the process includes the steps of: designating the requirements of the data to be created, transferred and interpreted; manufacture of the components for data creation and data interpretation, reading the agreed formatted data file for transmission, creating the data objects for heterogeneous transmission, transmitting the information from the sub-computer system to the target sub computer system, either electronically or on a variety of physical media including a paper facsimile, converting a paper facsimile to an electronic facsimile, interpretation of the data received by the target component from the various transmission methods.

produce the information in the agreed format for the target sub-computer system.

[002] A process as in claiml including the steps of: disguise of the data object to be transferred.

1003] A process as in claiml & 2 including the steps of: encryption of the data object to be transferred.

[004] A process as in claims, 2 or 3 including the steps of: electronically signing the data object to be transferred.

[005] A process as in claiml,2,3 or 4 including the steps of: self identification tags used by the create and interpret components.

[006] A process as in claiml,2,3,4 or 5 including the steps of: printing of barcodes on paper using standard or light sensitive ink.

[007] A process as in claiml,2,3,4,5 or 6 including the steps of: location of the data transferred, error correction and interpretation of the paper facsimile.